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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pound — a weight
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. key — in music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bear — the animal
  10. key — the most important part
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. court — of law
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. prune — to trim
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com